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In this edition:
- Year-End Message from Jofa
- Jofa and Maharat Israel Solidarity Mission, January 8-10, 2024:
Join Us in Spirit, if Not in Person
- The War's Unique Impacts on Women
- Women's Voices
- Making a Difference for Israel
-
Divrei Torah by Women on Parshat Vayechi
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Year-End Message from Jofa
Friends,
As 2023 draws to a close, amidst a particularly dark time for the State of Israel and the Jewish people, we are finding hope in each other, and in all that we have accomplished, and can continue to accomplish, to make a difference together -- with your support.
We are deeply inspired by the incredible strength of all of the heroic women and men on both the battlefront and the home front, who fight and persist through the unthinkable, with incredible bravery, courage, and resilience every day for our Jewish homeland.
Women’s voices and perspectives, Torah learning and leadership, continue to play a vital role, helping so many people find meaning and understanding amidst our complex lives and the profound challenges that surround us.
We are proud of what we have achieved, both all year long, and since October 7, toward increasing Orthodox women’s voices, participation, and opportunities. We are honored to continue advancing Orthodox feminism, for this generation and those to come. Women will continue to play many critical roles in strengthening our nation, no matter what the future brings.
Please consider making a year-end contribution to help Jofa continue its important, substantive, and meaningful work to expand women's rights and opportunities within the framework of halakha, to build a vibrant and equitable Orthodox community. With your support, we can bolster our efforts to empower women, as individuals, and within our organizations, institutions, and communities.
We continue sharing resources and ways to help, along with women's voices and divrei Torah, in this email, on our website, and in our social media posts. Please use and share these resources, to help each other and all of Am Yisrael stay strong and resilient through this ongoing difficult time.
With wishes for a 2024 that brings better news for all of Am Yisrael.
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Registration is Closed for the Jofa and Yeshivat Maharat Israel Solidarity Mission, January 8-10, 2024 -- But You Can Still Join Us in Spirit: Traveling to Israel now, to visit with Israelis, hear their stories, and do chesed on the ground, is a powerful way to meet this moment. We are so proud to have a robust group of women and men joining our Israel mission, which will include visiting, volunteering, and learning, supporting women, evacuees, female soldiers, and all of Am Yisrael at this critical time. We look forward to bringing much-needed chizuk and showing our support to our Israeli friends and family. We will report back in this weekly email, and in our social feeds, sharing pictures, stories, and firsthand accounts from the mission.
If you can't join the mission in Israel, but would still like to do something to participate, please consider sponsoring a BBQ dinner that we will be hosting for chayalot at an IDF base, on Tuesday, January 9. See graphic above for more information; click here to sponsor.
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The War's Impact on Women in Israel: Responding to Emergency Needs and Speaking Up on Gender-Based Violence -- Program Recording and Resource Page: Last week, hundreds attended “The War’s Impact on Women in Israel,” a substantive and compelling virtual panel discussion on the immediate needs of women and girls in Israel, and ways organizations and communities are working together to provide emergency support.
Featuring Dr. Cochav Elkayam Levy of the Civil Commission on Oct. 7 Crimes By Hamas Against Women and Children; Tal Hochman of Israel Women’s Network, and Shirin Abu Amar Alkrinawi and Stav Salpeter of Itach Ma’aki: Women Lawyers for Social Justice, the program was presented by The Hadassah Foundation and cosponsored by 21 organizations, including Jofa.
You can view the the one-hour program recording; read Haaretz's profile of Dr. Elkayam-Levy, and check out the substantive Next Steps for Women in Israel resource page, featuring helpful funding, advocacy, and media links.
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Please mark your calendars and watch for info and registration to be shared soon for Jofa and JOFA Australia's next Op-Ed Writing Workshop, sponsored by Yeshivat Maharat, on Tuesdays, February 13 and 20, 2024.
Here we share more women's voices and perspectives, posted and published during the past week:
| Making a Difference for Israel | We continue sharing, updating, and expanding ways to stay up to date, active, and engaged with what is happening in Israel and how we can help -- particularly with respect to raising the voices and stories of how women are impacted, what they are doing, and what we can do to support them. We hope that each week you will find something that speaks to you, and helps you stay connected, through tangible efforts that you can make for Am Yisrael -- in Israel, around the world, and in your own home and community. | |
Fight Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism: In the public sphere, and particularly on college campuses, antisemitism and anti-Zionism are central to the challenges we are facing. Here are some resources for learning more and advocating on these vital issues:
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Advocate: Although the U.S. Congress is on holiday recess, U.S. aid to Israel remains a vital and imminent issue under consideration. Calling, writing, and emailing is still critical, to urge America’s leaders to stand with Israel. We must continue making our pro-Israel voices heard, and making it clear to our elected officials that we stand steadfast with our ally Israel against Hamas terrorism:
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Keep Attention on the Hostages and Their Families: Visit listentomoms.net, a U.S.-based initiative uniting diverse mothers to share their stories and advocate for the release of hostages being held captive by Hamas in Gaza. See and share powerful videos; email the United Nations and members of Congress; learn about the captives, and more. Each of these hostages -- including young children -- is dearly loved and cherished by their families. Innate human compassion drives us to care deeply about their safety and well-being.
Through the Hostages and Missing Families Forum's BringThemHomeNow website, you can also contact your elected officials and purchase wristbands, to help raise international awareness and support this volunteer-driven effort to return all of the innocent civilian hostages back home to their families and loved ones.
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Find Meaning in Hands-On Rituals: Actions like baking challah with friends, family, or community, are tangible ways to connect. Use this Kosher.com guide to plan a challah bake for Israel. Think of people you know who have lone soldiers or loved ones in Israel that they are concerned about. Bake together, bring them challahs for Shabbat, invite them to your table. Give each other strength, and remind each other that we are all in this together, and here to lift each other up. Read this beautiful account of just one example of the communal challah bakes taking place each week around the world.
You can also print these special candle lighting prayers to join Jewish women around the world in finding extra purpose and meaning in lighting Shabbat candles, and reciting special prayers for the captives, the injured, the IDF, our families, and the entire Jewish nation.
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Stay Informed: It remains vital to arm ourselves with reputable sources, to stay informed of news, developments, and analyses, so we can keep advocating and reinforcing our message effectively. Here are some suggested sources that include coverage, analysis, and firsthand accounts:
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Help Meet Needs on the Ground: The needs are extensive, but we can each make a substantive difference -- by volunteering, collecting, raising funds, visiting, or donating directly toward supplies, meals, trauma counseling, caregiving, evacuee families, IDF support, and so much more.
Consult the Jewish Funders Network's extensive listing of trusted agencies and nonprofits in the U.S. and Israel, including this section on women's organizations, as well as this JFN Guide: Women in War: Grantmaking with a Gender Lens.
Consider contributing to the numerous organizations and fundraising efforts throughout Israel and around the world, that are delivering an incredible array of goods and services -- including your community's Jewish Federation, as well as the following suggestions:
We also highlight organizations that specialize in helping women and girls, including these:
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Reaching Out: Everyone in Israel is both connected to, and deeply affected by, what is happening. Anyone you know in Israel, or anyone in the diaspora with family and/or friends in Israel, or loved ones serving in the IDF, will appreciate you reaching out and checking in. It is meaningful just to make the effort, even if you aren't sure what to say. Just express that you care, and that they are not alone. What is happening weighs heavily on our hearts and minds. A call, email, or message can make a real difference; a gesture of kindness can go such a long way.
Here are a few mental health and wellness resources that can help you or those you care about:
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Talking with the Kids in Your Life: Discussing with children of all ages what is happening in Israel is delicate and challenging for parents, caregivers, educators, spiritual leaders, youth leaders, and more. We continue sharing and adding to our list of resources to help navigate this:
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Coming Together for Chizuk, Inspiration, Unity, Prayer, Learning, Music: Communities keep coming up with new ways to gather meaningfully -- over Shabbat and throughout the week; at shuls, schools, and JCCs; making care packages for IDF soldiers; knitting kippot or tying tzitzit; organizing multifaith programs; hearing speakers share stories from Israel; setting public empty Shabbat tables, or setting aside seats for the hostages, in shul or at your own Shabbat table at home, and much more.
Every Shabbat can be Israel Shabbat at your shul, by incorporating Tehillim, prayers, and melodies for Israel, including: the Prayer for the State of Israel, Prayer for Tzahal, Prayer for the Safe Return of Hostages. Include in your tefillot the names of soldiers and hostages; some shuls pass around lists of names so that all are said aloud.
Say your own personal prayers or Tehillim; insert your own prayers during tefillah. Take a moment to thank G-d for protecting and watching over us, and those who safeguard our homeland, and all who are in harm's way. Now more than ever, tefillah can bring strength and comfort.
Organizing a melaveh malkah, kumsitz, or Israeli music concert can also be helpful ways to connect, share, and channel our feelings. Try this Spotify playlist too: Music to Give You Comfort and Strength.
| Divrei Torah by Women on Parshat Vayechi | |
Jews around the world are reading and studying Parshat Vayechi this week. Here are a few divrei Torah by women on this week's parsha:
| Shabbat Shalom U'Mevorach | |
